Hand-to-hand games and competitions have existed for centuries. People of all ages are continually intrigued by games of physical contact with an opponent. Physical hand-to-hand games have always been popular as both professional spectator sports and amateur participation sports. Two examples of hand-to-hand games are boxing and wrestling. In these sports, very little innovation has occurred in the technology of scoring or in the rules of engagement.
One problem with hand-to-hand games is they are universally scored by subjective human judging and do not incorporate any objective electronic scoring technology. For example, in wrestling, a match that ends without one contestant pinning his opponent in the allotted time will be subjectively judged by a referee that determines points for take-downs, reversals, and other maneuvers throughout the match. Similarly in boxing, a match that ends without a TKO or knockout will be subjectively judged by the number and accuracy of the blows to each opponent, and the ultimate winner is determined by this judging.
Subjective judging has always created problems in the accuracy of scoring these games. For example, subjective scoring results in missed points, improperly awarded points, and can also result in excessive physical contact. Subjective scoring also results in frequent disagreements between officials and players because of the different perspectives of each person. Games that require scoring to be done solely amongst players, without the use of a third party judge or official, will often result in disagreements between opponents.
Some games, such as fencing and laser tag, have tried to remove the subjective scoring by incorporating electronic scoring; however, these games are contests in the mastery of a weapon and are not hand-to-hand games. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a hand-to-hand game that incorporates objective scoring technology.
Another problem with prior hand-to-hand games is they require high-impact physical confrontations in order for an opponent to win the game. For example, in wrestling and boxing, the winner typically is the contestant that can take down or knock out their opponent. These types of high-impact games require lengthy physical and mental training, and often involve a high risk of physical injury. It would be desirable to have a game that includes a hand-to-hand game system that is objectively scored using electronics, and that incorporates the compelling nature of physical contest using low-impact rules of engagement.